Mike Silva unveiled three new endorsements today in the runoff election for the Newark City Council’s East Ward: Council President (and former mayor) Luis Quintana, Councilman At-Large Carlos Gonzalez, and North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos.
“As a native son of the East Ward, Michael will be a strong representative for the constituents,” Quintana said in a statement. “He knows the East Ward needs and he won’t be afraid to fight for it.”
Silva, a retired police officer, faces former Newark Police Chief and 2018 council candidate Anthony Campos in the June runoff after each got around 35% of the vote in the initial May 10 election. While Campos may have a name recognition advantage from his previous campaign, Silva has the backing of many of the East Ward’s most influential politicians, including Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin (D-Newark) retiring Councilman Augusto Amador.
One notable figure who has yet to wade into the race is Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who won re-election in a landslide last month and who backed fourth-place finisher Louis Weber in the initial East Ward election.
Though Baraka hasn’t taken sides in the runoff, today’s endorsement from three councilmen on Baraka’s slate indicates that the mayor may at least be amenable to the idea of a Silva victory. Baraka’s preferred candidates won outright in six of the city’s nine council races, and made it to the runoff in two others.